What structural feature of prokaryotic cells might you expec

What structural feature of prokaryotic cells might you expect to have changed before and endosymbionts could be acquired by eukaryotic cells?

Solution

The endosymbiotic theory, also known as symbiogenesis is an evolutionary theory, which was given for the origin of eukaryotic cells from the prokaryotic organisms. This theory was proposed by a Russian botanist Konstantin Mereschkowski in the year 1905.

A prokaryotic cell is quite simple in comparison to a eukaryotic cell. It does not consist of the complex cell organelles like the nucleus, Golgi bodies, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. As per this theory, prokaryotic cells were engulfed by another cell or symbiont. This gave rise to the organelles in the eukaryotic cell. With time this trait was passed on to the next generations, which ultimately gave rise to eukaryotes.

For example, the mitochondria appear to be analogous to proteobacteria and rickettsia, while the chloroplasts in green plants are analogs of cyanobacteria. The division of mitochondria and the plastids in the eukaryotes take place by binary fission, which is a characteristic trait of asexual reproduction in the bacteria. Certain transport proteins like porins, which occur in the membranes of mitochondria and chloroplasts also occur in the bacteria. The genomic studies show a close relationship between the prokaryotes and the eukaryotes.